Cultivator



G. W. RICE.

(No Model.)

GULTIVATOR.

No. 331,913. Patented Dee. 8,1885.

a PETERS Paawumq n hnn Washingiun. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rricn.

G. \VAREEN RICE, OF BROOKLYN ILLINOIS.

CULTlVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent RIG-331,913, dated December 8. 1885.

Serial No. 146,218. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, G. YVARREN R1013, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brook lyn, in the county of Lee and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Oorn-Gultivating Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a light, strong, and effective corn-cultivator suited to the various positions and conditions of the soil. Iattaiu these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine; Fig. 2, a plan .view; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the front part of machine; Fig. 4., a rear elevation of rear part of machine; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of spokes around hub; Fig. 6, a latitudinal section of hub, spokes, and set-screw; Fig. 7, a detailed view of the knife; Fig. 8, clamping device.

As shown in the drawings, my machine is made up generally of two partsthe front part consisting of the tongue A, evener J, axle O, and wheels D D, the rear part consisting of the knif'eheads E E, the arch F, and the handles G G. In practical use the rear part may be attached to any ordinary shovel-plow sulky. The arch F, made of iron, as shown, constitutes the foundation of the machine. The knife-heads E E are attached to the arch by the hook-bolt at f and a brace hooked at g and bolted at h. The handles are attached to the arch atj by a bolt, and also at Z and m by braces from 76. The whole rear attachment is connected with the draft device by a rod, I. hinged to the arch at f, then running forward through eyes at n on the axle; thence back and hinged to the arch at Z, also by an iron, Q, running nearly parallel with rods I from a hook bolted to the knife-head at o to a hookbolt at p.

The machine has six knives, three being placed on each side, as shown in Fig. 2. Each knife is made of a round rod of iron, a, bent and riveted to a steel blade, I), Fig. 7. Each knife is secured to the knife-heads by means of hook-bolts c and d and washer e, theirposition being represented in Figs. 1 and 4.

My evener consists of the cross-bar J uprights K, braces L, draft-rod M, and pulley N. A side view of the evener is represented in Fig. l, atop View in Fig. 2, and a rear view in Fig. 3. This makes a very perfect downdraft evener. That part of the draft-iron situated between sand t forms a perfect arc of a circle, whose center is at u, where a bolt acts as a pivot and secures the crossbar J to the tongue A. The pulley N is secured perpendicularl y in front of the draft-iron M between 8 and t. This pulley, set as mentioned above, or at any convenient position, or an anti-friction block placed in its stead, allows the draftiron, and consequently the ends of the evener, to which the single-trees are attached,to vibrate freely back and forth. I use a wheel which has a wrought-iron tire, wrought-iron spokes, and a cast hub. The novelty of the wheel is, that the spokes pass from the tire round the hub and back to the tire again, that each alternate spoke is pressed to opposite ends of the hub, and all held tight by means of set-screws, and that the hub may be removed by loosening said set-screws.

Fig. 5 shows the appearance of the spokes Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 on one end of the hub P, the opposite end being similar.

Fig. 6 shows the position of one of the setscrews R, three of which are used in wheels having twelve spokes. Their heads project through triangular holes 1 r 'r, Fig. 5, formed by the crossing of the spokes. By turning the screw the burr may be drawn against the spokes at one end of the hub and the point pressed against those at the other end, thus spreading, and consequently tightening, the two sets of spokes and gripping the hub firmly in position. After the spokes have been pressed into said position I sometimes withdraw the set-screws and insert in their places, between the two sets of spokes, plain strips of iron, thus reducing the cost of the wheel. wheel each rod forms two spokes, the first bein g riveted to the tire as spoke No. l, is placed round the hub, and brought back as spoke No. 3. No. 2 goes to the opposite end of the hub, and back as No. 4. The next four are arranged in like manner, and any number of fours may be used.

When using the machine, the rear attach- In this.

went may be raised to the position indicated by the dotted lines S, Fig. 1, where it will be caught and held by the hook T while turning ends or transporting the machine.

The machinemay be swung sidewise, as indicated by the dotted lines U, Fig. 2, when working crooked rows. The inner ends of the knife-heads are vertically adjustable, as indicated by dotted lines Y, Fig. 4, by means of the rod V. This rod is connected with the knife-heads at z by the irons W and X. It is held where wanted by a clamp, Fig. 8, in which'w is a wooden friction-block, a: a steelwire spring, and y a staple, which holds all to the handle. By sliding the rod V up or down the handles the inside knives are raised or lowered, and all kept cutting an equal depth in uneven ground without stopping the machine.

The above fully describes my invention.

I am aware that various cultivators using knives and straddling the row have been in use for many years, and therefore I lay no claim, broadly, to such constructions, my invention being confined to the details-of construction pointed out in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a cultivator, the combination of four parallel draw-bars, I Q and Q I, either pair of which connects one knife-head, E, to the draft device, I connecting the knife-head at Z with the draft device at a, Q connecting the knife-head at 0 with the draft device at 1), Fig. 2, whereby each knife is made to cut its full Width, whether the knife-heads are swung a little to one side or are drawing directly be justing all knives to a proper depth to conform to the ridge which rises on the row by repeated cultivation, or to work any uneven ground, said device consisting of the iron rod V, attached to the handle G, within reach of the operator, by the clamp, Fig. 8, said rod connecting, by means of the irons WV and X, with the knifehead E at z, the knife-head being hinged at f and g, all substantially as specified and shown.

3. The knife I) and curved rod a, bolted to said knife, as shown, to form a connection and support, in combination with the knife-head E, connecting with the draftirons I Q and arch F, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the hub P and setscrews R R It with the spokes 1 2 3, 820., as shown in Figs-5 and 6, said hub being plain, having neither lug nor flange, said set-screws being inserted in holes 1' r r, formed by the crossing of the spokes, and serving to press alternate spokes to opposite ends of the hub, as shown, and in combination with the spokes and tire forming a wheel, D, substantially as shown and described.

Witnessed and signed this 10th day of October, 1884.

G. \VARREN RICE.

\Vitnesses:

MIL'roN BONSLOUGH, 1VIARSHALL N. Bron. 

